"The door
itself looked so solid and threatening, especially with the thick steel
bars running across it. Gazing at it, I became aware of how it
represented the division between the life I had known up until this
moment and the lack of freedom that was slowly creeping into the very
core of my being."

Being imprisoned is enough to break
down even the strongest individual’s will, but imagine suffering
through this ordeal knowing that you are completely innocent? Such was
the fate of Julia, an Australian woman who left her home in 1974 with
adventure in her heart and plans of seeing the world in her mind. She
could never have known the dark turn her life would take, nor did she
see the coming despondence and despair that would take control over her
entire existence for a year.

As soon as she boarded the Europe-bound ship, she knew that a life on
the seas was the one for her. She immediately secured employment with a
Caribbean cruise line, and had the pleasure of traveling the world,
experiencing new cultures, and learning new languages. She was
thoroughly enjoying her life, and even met an attractive young man that
she married within only a few months of courtship. But it would all
come crashing down in a very painful way. Julia would be taken to
Korydallos Prison on one very unsuspecting morning and would learn hard
truths about herself that completely changed the way she viewed her
life. During her imprisonment, she was taught lessons in humility,
patience, pain, and developed a sense of innovation that she had never
known.

She jumps around in her storytelling frequently, which perfectly
encapsulates the mind of someone who has been wrongfully imprisoned and
is grappling with the complete loss of freedom. Julia’s story, as
narrated by Celestine, serves as a lesson to never take life’s simple
pleasures for granted and to never judge another person. Without the
full story of someone’s life, it can never be truly known what their
circumstances may be, or what a lack of options might force them to do.
This true story serves as an inspiration for all to continuously
express gratitude, refrain from judgment, and live life to the fullest.
.

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